Air register



III/IIII 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. A. HICKS AIR REGISTER Filed April 22, 1939 May 28; 1940.

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INVENTOB Zas/le fl. Mills BY I RNEY May 28, 1940; v

L. A. HICKS AIR REGISTER Filed April 22, 19:59

v 44 Mn/" 91/ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A in Patented May 28, 1940 AIR REGISTER Leslie A. Hicks, Honolulu; Territory of Hawaii, assignor to Peabody Engineering Corporation, New York, N. Y.,- a corporationof New York.

Application'April 22, 1939, Serial -N0. 269,335

6 Claims (01.158415) This invention relatesto air registers for use in burnersforliquid, gaseousor pulverized fuel and is particularly applicable to an air register of the general'type shown in the patent to E. H. Peabody, No. 1,527,214, which comprises a casing having circumferentially arranged doors to admit air for combustion purposes. The setting of the doors and the air pressure may be adjusted in accordance with the load so as to supply a whirling mass of air to theburner throat for admixture with the cone of fuel.

Registers of this type are capable of a wide range of adjustment and may be used with variable capacity atomizerssuch, for example, as the atomizer disclosed in thaE. I-I. Peabody Patent 1,628,424 in which the load is varied through a wide range by controllingthe fuel return.

While such burners are capable of satisfactory and efficient operation at a wide range of loads, it has been found that at extremely small loads, when only a small quantity of air is passing through the register, the efliciency decreases somewhat due to the lowered velocity of the air passing through the burner throat. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide means for maintaining the proper air flow conditions in aburner of the above type apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed. I i

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will'be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, theinvention itself may be better understood by referringto the'followingjdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which a specific embodiment thereof has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings: v y Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section through a burner embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 ma transverse section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Various other objects and advantages will be bolts 28 arereinoved. I The front plate 23 of the register is provided Fig. 3 is a partial' section" taken along the line "3-3 ofFig. 2 showing the construction of the adjustable throat-ring;

Figs."4and 5 are detail views showing the construction of thethroat louvers; and

Fig. '6 is a'detail viewshowing a modified em bodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the invention is shown as embodied in an airregister I0, Fig. 1, forming a part of a burner for liquid, gaseous or 'pulverizedfuel. The burner is shown as associated with a front wall I I of a furmice of any well known'construction having an opening I2 linedwith a ring of refractory mate'- rial I3 having-a flared inner surface I4 forming theburner throat. A plate I5 is shown as disposed over the face of the wall II and may be secured in position byany suitable means, not shown. The refractory material I3 may be secured'to this plate I5 by suitable means, such as a flanged retaining ring I6. v

The air'register I comprises a throat piece 20, preferably of-cylindrical form,,havi'ng a flange 2I which may be secured to the plate I of the furnace by -means of bolts 22. The register is also provided with a front plate 23, which forms a front closure therefor, and between which and a back ring 24 a plurality of circumferentially arranged a'ir doors'25 are mounted. These air doors are adapted to be adjusted by suitable means, such as .an adjusting ring 26, actuated by a control mechanism, not shown, extending to the front of the plate 23, so as to admit controlled quantities of air into the air register chamber 21. The air doors 25 are preferably curved so as to impart a whirling motion to the air in said chamber; whereby the mass of air rotates. as it advances toithe burner throat.

I The front plate 23 of the airregister may be secured, as by bolts 28, to an outer wind box plate 29 which is spaced from the'furnace wall I I so as to provide a plenum chamber 30 therebetween in which air under pressure may be supplied to the register. The front plate 23,,doors 25 and back ring 24 are thus supported by the outer wind box plate 29 independently of the throatpiece 20 so that thegregister and atomizer. (to be described) may be withdrawn through the plate 29 when, the

with a hub 3l in which an atomizer barrel 32 is supported. This atomizer barrel terminates in an atomizer tip 33"and diffuser 34 of standard construction The atomizer 32 may be constructed'and arranged for use'with liquid, gaseous or pulverized fuel and may be, for example, of the type shown in the E. H. Peabody Patent 1,628,424.

The air register thus far described is of the type shown more in detail in the Peabody Patent 1,527,214 and only so much thereof has been set forth herein as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention. The invention may, of course, be applied to burners of various types for liquid, gaseous or pulverized fuel which may be supplied to the burner throat either axially or peripherally, as shown, for example, in the U. S. Patents 1,571,494 to C. R. Stewart, 1,790,395 to S. T. Warner, and 1,865,983 to S. T. Warner. When employed with gaseous fuel, the gas may be supplied either axially or peripherally.

The various types of burners referred to above have the common characteristic that a cone of atomized or pulverized. fuel is produced in the burner throat and that the air register supplies air for combustion to the burner throat in a rotating, turbulent mass and under conditions suit able for effecting an efficient mixture with the fuel. The air flow is controlled by adjusting the air doors 25 and the air pressure in the plenum chamber 3!! so as to supply the necessary quan tity of air for operation at various burner loads.

In accordance with the present invention, the air register is provided with an adjustable throat ring which is arranged so that the effective area of the throat piece 20 may be reduced when the burner is operated at extremely low loads at which only a small quantity of air is required. This reduction in area serves to prevent the velocity of the air from decreasing to a point where the proper mixing of the air. and fuel no longer takes place and also is arranged so as to confine the air to the center portion of the burner where it is most effectively utilized.

In the embodiment shown, this throat ring comprises a plurality of annularly arranged louvers 4i! which are mounted between annular channel members 4! and 42. The channel member 52 may be secured to the interior of the throat piece 20 and may serve to support the louvers 40. The louvers 40 may be provided with ears 44 (Fig. 3) which may be pivotally mounted on shoulder bolts 43 extending between the annular channel members 4i and 42. Each of the louvers 40 may be provided with a fixed link 45 which extends outwardly therefrom and is loosely connected to a ring 46. One of the louvers 40a, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, may be secured to a sleeve 4'! pinned to a shaft 48 which extends outwardly through the throat piece 2!! and is attached to a link 49. A rod 50 is pivotally secured to the link 49, as by means of nuts 5| and an elongated slot 52 in said link, and. extends outwardly through the front wind box plate 29 to provide an operating handle 53. The rod 50 may be slidably mounted in a bushing 54 attached to the plate 28 and may be held in adjusted position by a set screw 55.

The arrangement above describedis such that adjustment of the louvers 40 may be made by manipulation of the handle 53. Longitudinal movement of the rod 50 causes pivotal movement of the link 49, which rotates the shaft 48 and the'louver 48a attached thereto. The various louvers 43 are caused to operate in unison by means of the connecting ring 46.

It is to be understood that when the burner is operated at normal loads the louvers 40 may be shifted to such a position that they interpose a minimum of obstruction to the fiow of gases through the register. The louvers may, however,

be adjusted to control the direction ofair flow therebetween to the burner throat if desired.

When operating at small loads, the quantity of air supplied to the burner may be so reduced that the velocity at the burner throat decreases to an undesirable point. The louvers 40 may then be closed or partly closed by means of the handle 53 for thereby reducing the effective area of the throat piece. This reduction in area of the throat piece increases the velocity of the air and also confines the flow of air to the portion of the register adjacent the axis of the burner where it is most efficiently utilized for admixture with the cone of fuel.

It is to be understood. of course, that the position of the throat ring may be varied as desired relative to the burner throat and the point of fuel admission and is preferably disposed between the air doors 25 and the point of fuel admission so as to control the velocity and direction of the air as it contacts with said fuel.

By reason of the loose connection between the links 45 and the ring 46, sufficient clearance may be provided between adjacent louvers even when fully closed by the handle 53 so that circulation of the air over and between the louvers provides cooling means for the throat ring. The control ring 46 is shielded from the intense heat of the flame by the louvers. If desired, this ring 46 may be mounted at the'outer periphery of the i throat ring, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to further shield the same from the heat of the flame. The construction in Fig. 6. is similar to that above described with the exception that the links 45a are fixed to the outer peripheral part ,of the louvers M) and the ring 46a is correspondingly increased in diameter.

It is to be understood, of course, that other actuating means for the louvers may be provided if desired. Certain specific embodiments have been disclosed merely for purposes of illustration.

It is likewise to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific type of air register disclosed herein, but may be applied to various other uses as will be apparent to a person throat opening, means to supply a controlled quantity of air to said chamber, and an adjustable throat member disposed in said casing in the path of the air flow from said supply means to said throat opening, said throat member comprising a set af annularly arranged louvers dis posed to adjustably close the peripheral portion of the air passage to said throat opening for restricting the air flow to a reduced cross-sectional area of said chamber between said throat member and the axis of said chamber whereby the desired velocity of air flow may be maintained when the quantity of air is reduced by adjustment of said supply means.

2. An air register comprising a casing forming an air chamber having an axial air discharge throat opening and having a set of circumferentially arranged air doors disposed in advance of the plane of said throat opening, means for angularly adjusting said doors to vary the quantity and direction of air flow therebetween into ing, fuel supply means for producing a cone of,

said chamber and'to cause the air to whirl in said chamber as it advances to said throat opening, and an adjustable throat member peripherally disposed in said casing in the path of the air flow from said doors to said throat opening, I

3. An air register comprising a casing forming an air chamber having an axial air discharge throat opening and havinga set of circumferentially arranged air doors disposed in advance of the plane of said throat opening, means for angularly adjusting said doors tovary the quantity and direction of air flow therebetween into said chamber and to cause the air to whirl in said chamber as it advances to said throat opening, and an adjustable throat member peripherally disposed in said casing in the path of the air flow from said doors to said throat opening, said throat member comprising a set of annularly arranged louvers disposed to adjustably close the peripheralportion of the air passage to said. throat opening for restricting the air flow to an reduced cross-sectional area of said chamber between said throat member and the axis of said chamber whereby the desired velocity of air flow may be maintained when the quantity of air is reduced by adjustment of said air doors,

4. In an air register as set forth in claim 3, means pivoting said louvers to swing about radial axes, control means for one of said louvers extending to the outside of said casing and means interconnecting said louvers for operation in unison. a a

5. In a burner for liquid, gaseous or pulverized fuel, an air register having a chamber therein and having an axial air dischargeopening, a throat communicating with said discharge openfuel in said throat, means to supply a controlled quantity or air to said register chamber for mixing with the'coneof fuel in said throat for combustion, and an adjustable throat member disposed in said register chamber in the path of the air flow from said air supply means to said throat,

said throat member comprising a set of annular'- ly arranged louvers disposed to adjustably close the peripheral portion of the air passage to said throat opening for restricting air flow to a reduced cross-sectional area of said chamber between said throat memberand the axis of said chamber whereby the desired velocity of air flow may bev maintained when the quantity of air is reduced by adjustment of said air supply means.

. 6. In a burner for liquid, gaseous or pulverized fuel, an air register having a chamber therein and having an axial air discharge opening, a throat communicatingwithsaid discharge opening, fuel supply meansfor producing a cone of fuel in said throat,;aset of circumferentially arranged air doors disposed in said air register I in advance of said discharge opening, means for angularly adjustingsaid doors to vary the quan-' tity and direction of air flow therebetween into said chamber and to-cause the air to whirl in said chamber as it advances to said discharge opening, and an adjustable throat member peripherally disposed in said register in the path of the air flow from said doors to said discharge opening, said throat member being positioned and arranged to adjustably restrict the crosssect'ional area of the air passage'tosaid vdischarge opening for maintaining the desired velocityof air flow when the quantity of air is reduced by adjustment of said air doors and for restricting the air flow to the area around the axis of said burner where an eflicient mixture with the cone of fuel may be obtained.

LESLIE A. HICKS. 

